The Expendable Crewmember
by Celeia Cide
Summary: We all adore our favorites, but does Star Trek really attempt to combat the 'expendable crewmember' syndrome? Here is my year-old attempt to do so. I liked it, though rather long for a single-chapter format... You might laugh. Be a fan! ST deserves it! -


1 September eighth, first year  
  
Hello, Journal! Well, My first day on Voyager, and I think I'm in love! Everything about her is perfect! I can now imagine what Engineer Montgomery Scott must have felt for his ship…. And what a ship! Well, I suppose I should introduce myself! I am Lieutenant Joe Thorn. You should have a name, too. How about…… Mark Jade. That's the name of my first little engine. The Mark Jade. A great name for my first literary effort. Well, tomorrow is my first day of active duty! I'd better get some sleep now, so good night, Mark!  
  
September ninth, first year  
  
Hello, Mark!  
  
I had a GREAT day! Oh, I wanted to clarify something for you, too. I mentioned that today would be my first day of active duty. But I'm a lieutenant. Well, it's a long story, but basically I saved the Lambda-Beta shuttle prototype from disaster, and I was given the rank. Mostly because there would have been about twenty casualties, including Admiral Paris. The press heard about it, and Starfleet got pressured into it. Well, it's late, so goodnight!  
  
September tenth, first year  
  
Hey, Mark!  
  
Well, we're out looking for the Maquis! It's an awesome assignment, even if I probably won't see any action. It'll be something, though, to be associated with Janeway! Well, good night!  
  
October eleventh, first year  
  
Hello, Mark!  
  
Sorry for not writing in so long! Well, a TON has happened! We're lost. Majorly lost. We're in the DELTA quadrant! That is so weird. I half expect it to be a trick or simulation that I'll wake up from. Maybe a psyche thing. But the Maquis are real enough. They've joined us in our voyage home. Really scary. There's a Maquis first officer, and Paris, our resident convict, is manning the helm! Now, I know that he is good. I flew against him in the holodeck a couple of times. But I also know that Lieutenant- Commander Niel is better. Would you believe that some Talaxian goes to briefings that he's not authorized to attend? Not to mention a convict, two Maquis, and my cousin's fiance! Well, so much for the injustices of the universe! Good night!  
  
November twelfth, first year  
  
Hey, Mark!  
  
Guess what?! There was an Away Mission planned for today, and Lieutenant- Commander Niel recommended me as the man for the job. The Captain didn't even consider me as a candidate! Now, I'm not one to challenge authority's decisions, but I specialize in Starship Operations, and I'm considered a genius. I graduated the same year as Ensign Kim. She chose him, a really good holoengineer, to man Ops. I don't think she's even noticed anyone that isn't incredibly unique and bizarre! I don't mean that she should ignore the "weirder" people on the crew, but what about people like me? I never get to do anything! I actually worked with Paris and Kim on some cataloguing in the cargo bay a week or two ago. A Maqius shoved a huge crate off a shelf right onto them. Their commbadges were crushed, and there was no one to help them but me. The crate was half caught on a shelf, but it had slammed the two against a wall and pinned them there. The Maquis was coming after them. I phasered the guy down, and managed to hotwire a hydrojack to get them out. They weren't hurt too badly, but they had been knocked out by the impact of the crate and never knew that I'd saved their lives. They figured someone had just heard a noise and beamed them out or something. It grates on me, though.  
  
November fourteenth, first year  
  
Hey, Mark!  
  
The Away Mission went all right, but my cousin's fiance was there. I can't stand the sight of him some days… Knowing that my little cousin Libby is at home, worried as anything, and Kim's hanging out with Jenny Delaney, the biggest flirt in the quadrant! I would take him up on it, but not only is he a fair boxer, but he doesn't know that I'm practically his cousin-in- law. Well, I've got to get up early tomorrow. I'll actually be on the Bridge!!!  
  
November fifteenth, first year  
  
Hey, Mark!  
  
Today I was on the Bridge for a bit! I got to man Ops, which is really awesome! I need all the experience I can get for when we get home. Kim and Paris took off for Shore Leave a day early, because the Doctor said they'd stressed themselves too much on the Away Mission. Obviously, he didn't think I'd worked as hard as they had, because I'm still up here. But Lieutenant-Commander Niel is at the helm, which makes up for anything! He's really one of my favorite COs, and the way he pilots! It's like we're a sort of fish, swimming through space! Paris may have some fancy stuff, but Lieutenant-Commander Niel has much more of a feel for it. If only Janeway cared about the more average people in the crew, she might actually rotate us onto the Bridge now and then! But she's pretty obsessed with "redeeming the convict" and "weathering the green ensign". That'll get us killed eventually, when the 'best' aren't on the Bridge in a crisis. Well, good night, Mark.  
  
November eighteenth, first year  
  
Hi, Mark!  
  
Today we celebrated a birthday in Engineering! A nice girl, actually a diplomat. She got bumped to Engineering when B'elanna found out what she did to the Holodeck 'just for fun'. She was creating stuff almost as sophisticated as the Doctor! THAT'S scary! And I thought Kim was good! But you can't disagree with her, or she'll change your outlook on life to suit her whim! That's probably why Torres promoted her to Lieutenant-Commander 'for her birthday'. Not that she doesn't deserve it, but nobody but NOBODY gets promoted that fast in Starfleet, especially outside their specialty! Well good night!  
  
November thirtieth, first year  
  
Hey, Mark! Well, nothing much to report. I was just wandering a bit today…. Hoping there'd be something to do. Finally B'elanna sent most of Engineering to the holodeck to finish out the shift. I hate being sent away from my job. But when there's nothing to do but double check systems, she only needs two or three people…. So she sent the rest of us to holodeck 2. The Officers' holodeck. It's NICE! Really nice! I mean, it's huge, sophisticated, the holograms are so much more REAL! We had Miss Holodeck Genius program us up something interesting. Oooooooh, man! She snagged Ensign (he got demoted somehow) Paris, convict extraordinaire, in the hallway and got him mixed up in it all. The end result? We were working for some guy named Gates. William Gates. He's fairly primitive and all, but he was rich for a while. When he died, he was bankrupt. And sooooo in debt…. But Paris likes anything where you use your hands, rather than brains or experience…. Our one and only Tom. Hey! Guess what I heard! I heard that last weekend, the whole mess with the holodeck was Tom's fault! It had to do with his "Defender of the Universe" program…. Captain Moron or something…. But the Captain was involved, and the Doctor… I'm not sure what it was all about, though. Well, good night!  
  
December third, first year  
  
Hey, Mark! Guess what? You'll NEVER believe it! I'm friends with Ensign Kim! It's a loooong story, but, basically, Commander Chakotay was being the perfect first officer, and he was watching the surveillance recordings! I am SHOCKED! Nobody WATCHES those! But one apparently got activated when the Maquis mercenary guy dumped the crate on Paris and Kim! Chakotay's got it on holovid, and showed it to the Captain. Automatic promotion! I am now Lieutenant-Commander Thorn, and I have equal rank to Niel!!! So awesome! Good night!  
  
December fifth, first year  
  
Hey, Mark! Harry's been hanging out with me more since my promotion. I mentioned that in my last entry. It's great, I've actually cleared the air between us, and he told me he hasn't forgotten Lib. I'm glad. But I've been thinking about that…. Maybe he SHOULD. You know? But he's really not ready for any serious romance. Libby's so laid back, he really doesn't know what it's like! Good grief, he told me about having jumped out of a gondola on the holodeck because Jenny Delaney was scaring him! That's pathetic! Well, good night!  
  
December eighth, first year  
  
Hey, Mark! I've still been giving Paris distance, despite my friendship with Kim… I really don't like our one and only womanizer. I mean, we've got five teens on board, and he's the one we worry about! Pitiful. Really pitiful. Good grief, I witnessed a fight between him and Psycho-alien-with- no-rank-that-goes-to-'staff meetings'-cook-Neelix guy. It was over Neelix's girlfriend. He thought Tom was flirting….. Now, Kes is perfectly lovely, but she's three years old! Tom is beyond comprehension…. Well, good night!  
  
December twelfth, first year  
  
Hi, Mark! Today, I was talking to Harry, when TOM came up! I was sooo annoyed! Good grief, doesn't he realize that he's a prisoner that Janeway can't control, so she gave him rank so he'd behave? And he doesn't seem to think that it makes him lower than anyone else. He swaggers around, his ego probably generates a gravity well of it's own, despite the fact that no girl will look at him, except Megan Delaney, and THAT'S only because she likes Harry. Oh, well. That's it for the gossip on everyone's favorite criminal. Good night.  
  
December twenty-fourth, first year  
  
Guess what?! Janeway says that, for the new year, she's going to change rotations a little! She's going to cut shifts a little for an extra one! I'm rotating IN!!! Oooooh, I can't BELIEVE it!!! I'm ON THE BRIDGE!!!!!!! On the Bridge of VOYAGER!!! Every Starfleeters DREAM! The only way to go up is to get on main rotation, and that's impossible out here! I'm top dog as far as this crew's concerned…. Soooo SCARY!!!!!! I'm going to celebrate with Niel and Kim!!! Oh, and Paris…. But that's OK. I'M ON THE BRIDGE!!!  
  
December twenty-fifth, first year  
  
Hi! It's "Christmas"! I have absolutely no idea what you do on Christmas, and a lot of the crew don't celebrate it at all, so I'm just going to look on this year. Harry doesn't know what to make of it all, either. He's Chinese, born and raised, so I suppose that's why…. I'm afraid I have no such excuse. I just never celebrated with people I barely knew… Actually, I got Harry a gift, sort of. I wrote him a piece of music and spent weeks working on his Clarinet program. I got him the best Clarinet anyone's ever replicated! I've got a pretty good ear for music, and I got the Holographic Engineer Diplomat girl to program the specifics. He's thrilled! But anyone else… I wouldn't know what to do! But… Harry did give me something. Two things, actually. One was a blank notebook (a REAL notebook! You may be moving soon!), and one was an authentic paper back called "How to Meet People" (Hint, hint). He keeps trying to introduce me to people. His feeling is that, on a ship this "small", not knowing everyone's name is a punishable offense. How do I explain that he's the only one I want to know? I'm friends with Niel, too, so it's not like I'm antisocial. Just…. Introverted.  
  
December thirtieth, first year  
  
Hey, Mark! You're not going to believe this, but guess what we're making regulation? PARACHUTES!!!!!!! I mean, what good is a parachute in space?! Actually, it's not for Voyager… It's for the shuttlecraft. They all need to be outfitted with them because… well, never mind who… SOMEONE messed up all the computers so that the landing gear is sort of messed up. And, of course, skydiving Paris decides it would be fun to throw me out of a shuttlecraft. Apparently the Captain agrees. So, I volunteered to help Harry, B'elanna Torres and Tom sew stuff together. It actually could be done by the replicators, but these are the first Starfleet parachutes! They've got to be hand-made! Besides, it's fun to chop up uniforms into triangles! B'elanna does most of the sewing, and the Delaney twins are pretty good with needles, so they'll probably help too. Tom, Harry and I cut and design! Gets us away from work a little! We're going to try out our creations fairly soon, too! I'm a little nervous, but Harry's been teaching me about skydiving. The only thing that would seriously scare me would be if the landing gear screwed up on our trial flight! We'd have to evacuate so fast! I would probably forget everything Harry's taught me! Well, we're going to make it a proper Away Mission, and Voyager's not even going to be there to pick up the pieces… Oh, well! Good night!  
  
January first, second year  
  
WOW! It's the new year! It hasn't been an actual year, but most everyone counts by the calendar as well as the date. Well, Captain Janeway's new rotation would be effective today, but to celebrate, we're going to do our trial parachute run early! We'll be on an open comlink, and Tuvok will keep a transporter lock activated just in case. Us three guys are going to take the Delta Flyer out, but Harry's not going to jump. He claims he wants us to go because it's Tom's project and I can't pilot for anything. He doesn't know that I can pilot better than he can. But if he's scared….. I'll let him be. But I'm going to bring you along, Mark! Just in case I have time to sneak an entry in… Well, Bye!!!  
  
January third, second year  
  
Hi, Mark… You won't believe it. Tom's not back. Wait, let me back up a bit… There's some sort of particle in the atmosphere that's highly reflective. I'm not sure how, but it reflects signals, or most of signals, and even sensors! I'd never have known about the particle except I noticed that there were gaps in the information I was getting from the air. I guess it's reflecting the scans. Or absorbing, but that doesn't seem likely, because it blocked Voyager's scans and part of the transporter in such a way that they thought they were getting information. But basically, Voyager can beam stuff up, but it probably won't be us. Beaming blind… Well, that's bad enough, but the Delta Flyer's crashed nearby. There was this huge thing that looks like a block of lead or something. It creates vast amounts of gravity. Again, Voyager's scans were reflected. Tom and I got out OK, thinking everything was fine. Harry was manning the helm with the hatch wide open. He was thrown about three hundred feet. Mostly because of the intense gravity pulling the Flyer. But at least Harry was knocked clear. Tom and I landed, having seen the Flyer go down… I tell you, we were scared. And sure that Harry was going to be in at least three pieces! We searched for an hour or so, when we finally gave up and tried to find some shelter. Me and Tom. But, surprisingly, he hasn't been too bad. I thought he'd be a total jerk, but I guess he's not that up front about it with people he doesn't know that well. But the next day we set out to find Harry and the Flyer. We found the Flyer fairly quickly. We managed to climb up to it and get some supplies and a medkit. Just as we were leaving, I remembered you. Tom's kind of mad that I brought something so nonessential, but I couldn't just leave you! Well, we took out the tricorders and scanned for just about everything.. energy, atmosphere, animal life, edible plant life, everything. Then we decided we were safe enough for the moment and went through the communication gear. No go, probably because of the atmosphere. But we were looking for something to eat until someone found us, and I decided to climb a tree. I got up there, and I saw him. Harry was in the branches of a tree, not a mile off! I got down quickly, trying to keep my bearings, and dragged Tom in that direction, climbing trees here and there to make sure of the way. Finally we got to him. Going up together, Tom and I managed to get him down. He wasn't conscious, but he seemed to be breathing OK. When we had him on the ground, we scanned him. He's got an incredible concussion, and his back looks kind of weird. Absolutely a miracle (thanks, God), he didn't totally break anything! He may have fractured something in his back (we can't tell for sure without a biobed), but no clean breaks. So, Tom went out this evening to find some plant that registered on the tricorder. He said it's got some sort of chemical in it that's supposed to reduce swelling. And Harry's bump is fairly swollen! I feel so bad… I let him pilot, thinking he was the logical choice, when I knew better… But that won't really help. No time for regrets right now. I'll tell him how sorry I am when the Doctor's fixed him up good. Well, I'd better get some sleep. That plant must have been farther off than I thought! Well, as long as Tom doesn't get lost… He's got a phaser, so I'm not worried. Good night. Sort of…  
  
January fourth, second year  
  
Hi, Mark! Good news! Harry's awake, and Tom made it back OK. The plant seems to be working out OK for the swelling, but I'm still glad we have a medkit. Harry's not too happy, though. Tom and I have him restrained so that he won't hurt his back. Harry wants to get up and work on communications to see if we can transmit through the atmosphere. Oh! I'll be right back!  
  
Sorry, Mark. I didn't mean to rush off like that… Tom was yelling for me, and I didn't know if he was in trouble or what… You know, we've become a bit of a pair these past few days… Of course, we've got Harry to balance us. He stops every almost fight by threatening to intervene. He wouldn't be able to, of course, but might hurt himself trying, so Tom and I don't fight unless we're a ways away from our "campsite" as Tom insists on calling it. But we've left the campsite now. Tom had climbed up to the Delta Flyer and managed to hotwire the engines. Now the two of us are bringing supplies and stuff to it. I'm taking a break now, while Tom works on the engines. If he gets them going, we'll bring Harry. Well, I'll let you know!!  
  
January fifth, second year  
  
Hey, Mark!  
  
We're all moved into the Flyer, and Tom says he can get her up and running… We've just got to move Harry. That's what's got me worried. I was giving him a hypospray (rations), and I bumped his shoulder a little. He was out for hours, and I thought I'd killed him! I must have jarred his back… So Tom is taking apart one of the seats in the Flyer for a stretcher and, once he's moved, a cot. But in flight? It'll be rough, and I don't know how bad he's hurt… Though it's bad enough, apparently… We'll tackle that one tomorrow, though. Good evening…  
  
January sixth, second year  
  
Hey, Mark! We moved Harry this afternoon… He's still breathing and all, but he was screaming bloody murder until he passed out. "Work on communications" indeed! I tied him down good, and he shouldn't be able to move more than one or two inches in any direction. But still… We're going to try taking off in a couple of hours. I'll keep you posted…  
  
Hi, Mark!!!  
  
We're on our way!!! We could be back on Voyager in an hour! But, more likely, it'll take a while to catch up to their orbit. Harry's still out… But I'm fairly sure he'll be OK. The tricorders barely working now, but that won't matter if we get back to the Doctor. When we get back to the Doctor. Oh! I see Voyager! Tom's hailing them… Nothing I can do right now but keep an eye on Harry… But he's OK. Oh, good… an answer! But we're not going to beam over. Tom wants to take the Flyer in himself… The Doctor will be there with a stretcher, but I think he'll leave Harry on the seat-back until he's stabilized… I'm going to tag along to Sickbay, as is Tom. The Doctor wants to look us over anyway. We've docked!  
  
January seventh, second year  
  
Hi, Mark!  
  
Well, Harry's awake, and his back's all patched up! He's not allowed to go anywhere, though, and he told me that he's actually OK with that… His back must still ache a little. Tom got his hand fixed up… I didn't even know he hurt it! Apparently he burned it on a connection when he was shoving the Flyer together… Well, I'm on duty in an hour… I'm actually on the Bridge, but on graveyard shift. Soooo, I'll have to work with my hours… Too bad we didn't crash on the OTHER side of the planet! Well, bye!  
  
January eighth, second year  
  
Hey, Mark!  
  
Guess what?! I was being dragged around by Harry, (who sneaked out of Sickbay) and I met this insane Maquis that never resigned from Starfleet! Starfleet has him listed as "missing". Not even in action or anything! He skipped out while they were in dry dock, though, so it's a little weird… This guy's name is Terrence Rex… Really weird name if you ask me… He generally goes by "T.", which really isn't any better… But he's OK. And, since he hasn't resigned, when they came over to Voyager, he reassumed his rank! He's walking around sporting Lieutenant pips, and the access codes to match! Scary… When we get home, if he takes off for the Badlands, I'll have to remember his clearance code so I can fool with the records! Too good a chance to pass up… Well, my night on the Bridge was slow, and the Captain didn't even log an appearance… But, whatever. Better there than scrubbing floors in Engineering! Actually, tonight will be more fun. Long range scans picked up some sort of distorted wormhole! Really weird, and I think Captain Janeway suspects it to be a way home… She's doubling up the shift, so I'll be there, along with Harry, Niel and Tom. Really kind of exciting, but the wormhole's WAY too small for Voyager! It's even a couple of feet short of taking a shuttle craft! But if Janeway thinks we should investigate it, Tom and I will be dragging a shuttlecraft out to it. Oh! In all the excitement, I totally forgot to tell you! Today's my birthday! Harry found out through the ship's computer, and he's throwing a surprise party for me… Just so I'll have to meet people! But it is nice of him just the same… Oh! The door… Now, to act surprised…  
  
Hi, Mark!  
  
The party was awesome! Harry, Tom, B'elanna, Niel, Commander Chakotay and "Lieutenant" Rex showed up! No one else, thank goodness! We had some of Neelix's pie, and a little alcohol… And they actually got together to give me a gift! You'll never guess! It was a holo album! Not only that, but it had a holograph of every member of the crew! A whole bunch of them signed it, congratulating me on getting promoted to the Bridge, and a bunch of them invited me to have a drink with them… A couple of them even asked me why I was so shy. I guess life will be a bit more interesting from now on! I'll know everyone inside a month! But all engagements will have to wait. Tom and I are taking out a shuttlecraft first thing in the morning! If we find anything, we could be out there for a while, so I'll bring you along, but I'll probably only use my recorded log. Well, good night!  
  
January ninth, second year  
  
Hey, Mark!  
  
Tom and I are out by the wormhole, if you can call it that! It's really not a wormhole at all… It's too small, and it doesn't have the turbulence that you'd see with a real one. Well, I'm going to suit up and head out! I'll tuck you into a pocket for luck, along with my holo album, but there's NO WAY I'm writing in zero-g!!!  
  
Uh, hi, Mark…  
  
Sorry, I'm switching back to the recorded log… I'm floating through space. Alone. I'm dead. I was taking samples from the anomaly, when suddenly I got picked up by some sort of spacial current! I've never encountered one of those before, but I've read about them… They generally lead to a wormhole. This one did. It turns out that it was a little wormhole branch that cut through space. I'm not sure where I am now, but it's a good bet I'll be here for a while… Unless there's something behind me, but I doubt it. There's absolutely… Oh my word. No way. It looks like… Oh MAN! DEEP SPACE NINE! I cannot BELIEVE it! I'm HOME! That is sooo… WOW!!! I got sucked into their private little wormhole! OK! I've got to contact them… The suit should be equipped… YES! The radio! Uh, hello? This is… um… T. Rex! I got dumped here, I've been… umm…. Shanghaied! Orions! Orion pirates! Uh, could you come pick me up? Yes! They got it! Oh, Mark, I gave them the fish story because I don't want to be mobbed or anything. You know, maybe… Just maybe… Should I keep the persona? I mean, I'm soooo hated by everyone, mostly because of the shuttle incident way back when… And a totally new life? I lost contact with Lib years ago… And everyone would wreck my life, hounding me with questions about Voyager. If only this had happened to Harry. He actually knows the crew! Everyone will hate me for not remembering their brother or whatever… Yeah, I'll just keep this atrocious name. T. Rex. Yuck! But I know his access codes, and I've given him an excuse! Life will be great from now on… Oh! There's my ride! See you, Mark!  
  
January tenth, DS9  
  
Hi, Mark.  
  
I met a lot of sympathetic people who wanted to hear pirate stories… I miss Voyager. Will I ever see Harry again? Tom? Her beautiful engine room? Niel? Well, I go before Admirals Paris and Novakovitch in a week… I'll be very busy until then, so forgive me if I don't write much… Well, good night…  
  
January eighteenth, Earth  
  
Hi, Mark.  
  
Bad news. Really, really bad news. Oh, the interview went fine, and I'm back in the fleet… But I got to the briefing room, and I just paused to look around a little and to compose myself before seeing Tom's dad… I'll really miss Tom… But I heard the Admiral talking. About Tom. It was Novakovitch. He was talking to some other big name I didn't recognize. Apparently, some guy discovered a THIRD type of matter! You know, matter and antimatter… But a third? It's been tested and tested, and it's been proven incredibly stable and incredibly powerful! They could go to the Delta Quadrant and back in about a month! So, these two were discussing whether or not they should let Paris in on it. Because they're not going to endorse it! They're not going to take it, and they're going to steal the formulas and destroy them! I don't know why… It's safe, can be used, will get Voyager HOME! Why not?! Why can't they just come HOME?! Bye, Mark… This is the end of the little notebook Harry gave me. I'll switch to the recorded log until I can find another… Oh! Mark, I'm looking at my holo album. There's a group picture of the Engineering staff… And here's a couple of Harry… Oh, that one's cute! He's hanging off the railing in Engineering, and B'elanna's absolutely livid! Tom must have taken that one... Oh... Here's a couple that I took. There was a holo imager in the med kit, because the Doctor likes to use them for medical purposes. I just turned it in to the Doctor without bothering to get the images… T9om must have asked the Doctor for them… These were in case we died, and someone found the imager… One showing the crash site… One showing the campsite… Oh! Tom must have taken this one! It's me, digging through the medkit… Here's one of Harry, glaring like crazy! Tom must have taken that one while he was tied down… Here's one of Niel, piloting Captain Proton's ship on the holodeck! Well, I need to go to bed now… Oh, I miss them all so much! Good night, Mark…  
  
January nineteenth, Earth  
  
Hi, Mark…  
  
They gave me a desk job. I'm working in Novakovitch's office as an editor of sorts. The pay's good, working for an admiral, but it's rather boring… I'll have to dig up another notebook for you, Mark. I've got you recording now, so I can log entries while I work… I'm scanning a "top secret" letter to a couple of brass. Whoa! Hold the PHONE! This is on MatterOmega! That's what they've taken to calling the third type of matter! Sort of like that Omega Directive we came across before… But this specifies its use… Weapons! They're going to build up their ARMORY?! Rather than get Voyager home?! They don't want the ships running around with this kind of power, because a mutiny could give the Romulans or Maquis (they're bad guys?) so much. They're leaving Voyager out there for sake of a war that might happen. I don't believe it. You know what? I'm talking…. Now. Mark, I'll turn you back on once I get somewhere I can be heard!  
  
OK, Mark, you ready?  
  
We've got one shot, and then it's over. Forever. The top guys will lock us away somewhere for the rest of our lives (my life) if they can get away with it… So this better be good! Uh, oh. Security guards! Oh my word. They've got my notebook. They know what I'm going to do. I'll have to act fast! Uh, people!!! PEOPLE!!! Listen! I'm from Voyager! Listen up! I've got about three seconds to tell you over this intercom that Voyager can be rescued! There's a third type of matter that some guy discovered and proved extremely powerful and stable! We can get Voyager back! I got sucked through a wormhole that intersected with the one out by Deep Space Nine! Everyone's OK, but they want to get back! The top guys want to use this new power for weaponry! DON'T LET THEM!!! Well, Mark, I hope the message went through. Those gorillas are almost at the top of the transmitting tower! This was a great place to try for… I hope it was enough… Bye, Mark. This is the end of everything, I guess. Goodbye…  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Epilogue  
  
  
  
Joe Thorn was institutionalized for two years. He was killed by a Starfleet mercenary. Voyager was not given the help they needed from the MatterOmega. But his written journal was found by Admiral Paris. Knowing the system, Paris kept his mouth shut, and did not end up as Thorn. But his heart ached as he read the entries concerning his son. And he looked for the day that he would be able to expose Starfleet and get Voyager back. He still looks…. And maybe someday he'll see Voyager docking…. 


End file.
